[Voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder seldom drinks. Unless there's a weird cosmic alignment or the aftermath of a disaster of some kind. Right now... would be one of those rare exceptions, while he's hanging around his place sulking. He's got his vodka. He's got his frozen orange juice concentrate. He is all set[A lot has happened all in a row- the draft, the experiment, the

Comments

[voice]

[poorneedyand]

Jonathan Levinson? [The given name's familiar, anyway. He hadn't looked especially Jewish, but hey, she probably should've guessed by the first name. Because this is the kind of thing Kay thinks about, sorry.] Was he the one with the pig?

[voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

[A pig? Mulder was away at the time he was out pig-walking, but anything is plausible around here.]

I think we're talking the same guy? He has really extensive knowledge of movies, shows, books... You name it.

[voice]

[poorneedyand]

Did he ever say anything to you about watching other worlds? [After all, for better or worse, he'd never quite explained why he knew exactly who she was. You know, after mistaking her for a science fiction character.] Seemed like a nice enough kid, if it's the same one. He was going to tell me all about the layout of a space station.

[voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

Yeah, that's him. He comes from one of those universes where some of our lives are essentially made into fictional stories. [He's met some supposed fictional people here, himself, too, after all.] He's- He was always a good guy. He was my brother a little while back during that alternate reality experiment. That space station sounds just like him.

[voice]

[poorneedyand]

Fictional stories? I thought so. [Dryly. For all he'd insisted otherwise, it had seemed odd. Things Kay will have to think about later: being fictional.] He seemed like he'd be--first person I've met here who'd heard of my work. I'm sorry to hear he's left.

[voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

I'm still theorizing about it myself, but I assume it has to do with alternate universes. We all exist somewhere. I've met people here who are fictional in mine, I was fictional in Jonathan's...

[And of course, having something to take his mind off things gets him to ask...] ...What sort of work would that be?

[voice]

[poorneedyand]

It'd make sense. There's a fellow here from a story a friend of mine wrote--it's only fair if I'm from someone else's story somewhere, too.

Writing. Science fiction, if you want to be particular. [Pause.] And what d'you do?

[voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

I have a TV show. [Even to him it's such a weird concept to think of. His life, reduced to a half hour or hour with constant interruptions for commercials.]

I wonder if I would have read anything by you. [Though, with differing timelines and alternate universes, he can't be sure.] Most of what I do could be mistaken for science fiction, but it's all very real. I'm a federal agent, and I investigate unexplainable, paranormal cases.

[voice]

[poorneedyand]

Really. That must be bizarre. I'm not sure where he knew me from, but they made a TV show out of my colleague's James T. Kirk stories, turns out. [And his Sisko stories, for that matter, but she's still not clear on how well-known those are in the future, while the Kirk stories are famous now. Better to lead with them.] He knew that one.

So far, no one here has--I've given up hope there. [But she doesn't actually sound disappointed.] So what kind of paranormal cases are we talking about here? Clairvoyants or ghosts or Roswell?

[voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

Captain Kirk, really? You could say I know a thing or two about that show, myself. [Oh god, he was a geeky little Trek fan as a kid. He even dressed up as characters.] It's pretty exciting to meet someone who knows him.

My cases cover a little of everything. Aliens, mutants, ghosts and other spirits, not to mention other forms of undead, and other assorted things that go bump in the night... You name it, there's likely to be a file on it.

[voice]

[poorneedyand]

Well, knows his creator, anyway. Benny Russell works at Incredible Tales, same as me. [Pause.] I have met his doctor, though--McCoy.

Sounds like a dream job. You find much of anything on them?

[voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

The fact that Dr. McCoy exists, for real here, in the flesh, is never going to cease to amaze me...

...As for my work, I've found a ton of evidence over the years, and can verify that all of those things I mentioned really exist. I've also uncovered a government conspiracy intended to create alien/human hybrids, among other experiments. It's all a lot like here, actually.

[voice]

[poorneedyand]

Me, either. It's just a pity the rest of the Enterprise couldn't make it.

Really. [It's breathed more than spoken, with a considerable amount of respect behind the words. Mulder, you have basically the only job in existence more interesting than her own, in her mind.] Wouldn't those files be a treat to look through. Oh--Kay Eaton, pleasure to meet someone in such an interesting field.

[voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

Maybe we'll get lucky one of these New Feather cycles.

[It really is the best job ever, all things considered. Mulder is also obsessively driven in his work.] If only I had those files here, it's my life's work... Oh, and I'm Fox Mulder, it's good to meet you too.

[voice]

[poorneedyand]

A new one's coming up, I hear. I guess we'll see.

I know how you mean. The only stories of mine I can find here are the ones that ended up in anthologies--I miss having them all at hand.

[voice]

[ufo_fanboy]

I often find myself both hoping and dreading to see people I know when those cycles start up.

I know it's hard to track down specific things- I've noticed they're good at providing some general things, but there's always something missing... Though I wouldn't mind reading what's available here, sometime.

[For all that he tries to keep busy he always ends up with way too much free time on hand.]